What exactly are the Transformers?They are sentient, cybertronic, mechanized lifeforms who originate from the planet Cybertron, meaning they are Cybertronians. But where that falls on the alien or robot scale is less clear. Many Cybertonians are divided into factions, such as the heroic Autobots and the evil, warmongering Decepticons, andthe origin and backstory of the transforming robots, including the Transformers' home planet of Cybertron, can get quite complex and bizarre. A deep dive into the origin of the Transformers reveals a complex history, which will be significant as we move toward the upcoming CG-animated feature,Transformers One! But if you’re looking for a simple response to the question: Are the Transformers aliens or robots, the answer is yes.
Transformers One
Transformers One explores the origins of the iconic Autobots and Decepticons on their home planet of Cybertron. Set against a complex backdrop of alliances and betrayals, the film delves into the formative events and key figures that shaped these legendary factions, leading to their epic conflict.
The Transformers and Cybertron Were Created by the Quintessons
The first origin of the Cybertronians and Cybertronwas depicted in the Season 3 episode, “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4,” ofthe original animated series,The Transformers, which aired in September 1986. In the episode, Autobot leader, Rodimus Prime (Dick Gautier), uses knowledge available to him in the Matrix of Leadership, revealing the distant past of Cybertron. The series reveals Cybertron was built by the Quintessons, who were an ancient and malevolent race of sentient, mechanoid aliens.Cybertron was intended to be a factory to create a robot product line for the Quintessons: one group of robots designed as military-class hardware and the other as consumer goods. The robots were programmed with a type of simulated artificial intelligence so they could eventually build themselves. The Quintessons were cruel masters of their robot slaves, growing greedy and lazy, abusing their creations and recycling them for scrap.
The Quintessons did not anticipate that their artificial creations would develop personalities and emotions with the ability to think and feel for themselves. The cruel treatment by the Quintessons inspired a revolt, and the first Cybertronians rebelled against their decadent masters. They overthrew the Quintessons, claiming Cybertron and inspiring an age of peace. However, the descendants of the military robots sought to take over Cybertron, while the consumer goods robots were more interested in peace, sports, and the cultural arts. The consumer goods robots needed an edge over their military hardware rivals, andthey discovered the ability of transformation, utilizing the stealth technique of becoming “robots in disguise” to overwhelm and defeat their enemies. These “Transformers” became the first Autobots.
For a time, the Autobots held peace on Cybertron, but the civil unrest continued when the military hardware robots also discovered the technique of transformation. These new Transformers gave rise to the Decepticons, eventually anointing the tyrannical despot Megatron (Frank Welker) as their leader. For a time, Alpha Trion (John Stephenson) assumed the role of the leader of the Autobots, carrying the Matrix of Leadership.A young Cybertronian factory worker, by the name of Orion Pax, who Megatron was tricked and attacked, would later be rebuilt and reformatted by Alpha Trion, making him into Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), the new leader of the Autobots. For years,the Autobots and Decepticons became embroiled in a civil war that caused great damage to Cybertron, scattering the conflict across the galaxy, including planet Earth. Basically, the animated series makes it clear that the Transformers are alien robots.
The Transformers Have an Alternate Origin in the Marvel Comics Series
InThe Transformerscomic series published by Marvel,a different origin for Cybertron and the Transformerswas told in the story “Primal Scream,” written bySimon Furman. Cybertron was not a robot factory built by the Quintessons. Instead,Cybertron originated as a multidimensional, giant, godlike being of light called Primus. Primus was a benevolent entity who engaged in an interstellar battle with a similar, evil godlike entity called Unicron. While they fought across the cosmos, they reached a stalemate before entering the reality of our dimension. The process turned Unicron and Primus into asteroids floating through space that still contained their spiritual essences. Primus' body eventually evolved into the world known as Cybertron.Primus himself created the Transformers as warriors with the ability to transform, with the hope that they would combat Unicron and free the universe from the cosmic being’s evil tyranny.
Whether it’s the comics or the cartoons, the Cybertronians were first built by the Quintessons or their more benevolent creator, Primus. The Transformers, Autobots, and Decepticons are not only robots but sentient alien entities as well. Regardless of whether it’s technological evolution or the gift of Primus' essence, the Transformers think, emote, and have their own culture. In theBeast Warsanimated series, it’s revealed that all Transformers carry a “Spark” within them.A Spark is a unique energy source that grants Transformers their life and individuality. A Spark acts as the “soul” of a Transformer.
‘Transformers One’ Will Feature the Quintessons
The upcoming CG-animated feature,Transformers One, will feature the Quintessons in what appears to be an antagonistic role as the story’s villains. It will also explorethe relationship of the robotsOrion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), the Cybertronians destined to become Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, and Decepticon leader, Megatron. Before they became archenemies, Orion Pax and D-16 were the closest friends who took up a journey to find the Matrix of Leadership and save all of Cybertron.The presence of the Quintessons suggests there will be some insight into how the Transformers were created and came to be, acting as the cruel overlords of Cybertron. It will be interesting to see what origin the new animated movie will opt to go with – the Quintessons as the creators of Cybertron or Primus. Perhaps it will be a mixture of the two? Either way, some of these ideas will likely be explored further in the upcoming movie. But there is no need to decide between aliens and robots because the Transformers of both.
Transformers Onewill be hitting theaters on September 20.
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